Prince Daniel visits Stockholm with Prince Daniel's Fellowship

Erik Ageberg, Regional Manager of the Swedish Young Enterprise Association Stockholm, speaks about how the association helps young people to try their hand at enterprise. Ebba Blitz was moderator during the discussion in the lecture theatre. Photo: Leif R Jansson/TT

On Wednesday 23 October, Prince Daniel visited Blackeberg Upper Secondary School and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm to talk about Prince Daniel's Fellowship.

The day began at Blackeberg Upper Secondary School. There, a talk was held in the lecture theatre for students completing the final year of the economics programme. Prince Daniel and three of the project's experts, Spotify co-founder Martin Lorentzon, CEO of Ratos Susanna Campbell and Skype founder Niklas Zennström, spoke about their experiences of starting up businesses, how ideas come about and daring to fail.

Niklas Zennström, Prince Daniel, Susanna Campbell and Martin Lorentzon in the lecture theatre at Blackeberg Upper Secondary School in Stockholm. The day was arranged by Prince Daniel's Fellowship and the Entrepreneurship Program. Photo: Leif R Jansson/TT

The Prince emphasised the importance of seeing opportunities when starting a business. This could involve a solution to a problem, for example, or the desire to improve and develop an existing concept.

Niklas Zennström answered questions from pupils and shared his experiences. He mentioned that there is no need to know everything oneself. Instead, it is important to surround oneself with good people. Photo: royalcourt.se

Niklas Zennström explained that the idea for Skype arose from a need for flexible communication with his colleagues in various locations around the world. "It must be possible to develop internet telephony." It was a sense of frustration at cumbersome CDs that resulted in Martin Lorentzon's initial ideas for what would eventually become Spotify. "There must be a better way than having a CD changer in the car."

The pupils studying economics at Blackeberg Upper Secondary School get the opportunity to start, run and wind up their own company. Annie Westerholm tells The Prince and Martin Lorentzon about the business idea she and fellow student Max Löfgren have had for an anti-slip pad to hold a mobile phone in place. Photo: royalcourt.se

Susanna Campbell spoke about how Ratos invests in companies that have already been established, helping them to move forwards. She emphasised the importance of commitment to what one does.

Erik Ageberg, Regional Manager of the Swedish Young Enterprise Association Stockholm, then spoke about how the association helps young people to try their hand at enterprise. After the talks, the students held on-stage round-table discussions with the participants.

During the afternoon, a talk was held for students at the Royal Institute of Technology. Prince Daniel explained about the Prince Daniel's Fellowship project, and spoke together with the experts about entrepreneurship.

Prince Daniel and the expert council in the lecture theatre at the Royal Institute of Technology. Photo: David Sica/Stella Pictures

About Prince Daniel's Fellowship

The aim of Prince Daniel's Fellowship and its entrepreneurial programme is to inspire young people to become entrepreneurs, and to support a number of companies through mentoring. Prince Daniel's Fellowship has brought together a group of successful entrepreneurs and managers to form a council of experts who visit upper secondary schools, universities and university colleges in Sweden to inspire young people and to talk about their experiences as entrepreneurs.